SARATOGA SPRINGS -- A 33-year-old city man has been accused of making terroristic threats against President Barack Obama and elementary schoolchildren, authorities said Saturday.

Brent G. Dickinson of Maple Avenue was arraigned in City Court and is being held in Saratoga County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash or $100,000 bail bond.

Police charged him with two felony counts of making a terroristic threat after he allegedly sent two messages to the White House message board at around 11 p.m. Friday night. The postings were intercepted by the Secret Service.

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Authorities allege the messages indicated Dickinson intended to assassinate President Obama and murder children at an unspecified elementary school.

The messages were "coercive, intimidating and influential" in nature, Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said in a statement.

Authorities did not immediately release the content of the messages, though the charges allege they "caused a reasonable expectation of fear of the imminent commission of" the crimes.

After intercepting the messages, the Secret Service coordinated with the Saratoga Springs Police Department to identify the location from which the messages were sent and worked with police to identify Dickinson's whereabouts.

"Once we were made aware of the nature of the threats," Saratoga Springs Police Lt. John Catone said in a statement, "we were in constant contact with the schools and school administrators to make sure they were aware of the threat and they could take whatever security precautions that were needed."

Dickinson was taken into custody without incident, Murphy said, and arraigned in Saratoga Springs City Court.

Prosecutors lobbied for high bail because judges have previously issued 11 warrants for Dickinson after he failed to appear for court dates and needed to be located by police.

Dickinson has a "significant misdemeanor history, has done jail time before (and) has a pattern of fleeing the area," Murphy said, though he could not specifically comment on Dickinson's prior charges.

The 33-year-old has no significant community ties or long-term employment history, Murphy said.

Dickinson was a Saratoga County Department of Social Services client who was placed in the Gateway Motel on Feb. 17, according to motel owner Aruna Kumar.

He was not arrested at the motel, Kumar said, though he called her shortly after his arrest.

"This is the attendant of room No. 9," Dickinson said on an answering machine message that Kumar played. "I may or may not be available. I'm being detained by the Saratoga Springs Police Department."

Kumar said her interactions with Dickinson were limited.

"I just ignored him because he was very frustrated," she said, "talking bad about everybody."

Dickinson could face up to seven years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Asked if his office had ever prosecuted a case like this before, Murphy cited a May 2007 incident in which a Skidmore College alumnus called the college's alumni welcome center and threatened to go on a shooting spree less than a month after the Virginia Tech shootings and a month before Skidmore's commencement. Joseph H. Gaudrault was sentenced to a four-year determinate sentence and three years of post-release supervision in March 2008.

Murphy, in a statement, praised the collaboration between federal and local law enforcement officials.

"While the threat was not specific as to which elementary school, I believe we can never be too careful, especially in light of the recent case of the horrific school shooting in Ohio and elsewhere across the country," Murphy said. "The attorneys in my office and the police officers who worked together just on this one case well past midnight were gratified to know that because of their efforts and the efforts of the U.S. Secret Service agents, no harm came to anyone, especially to young children."

Saratoga Springs Superintendent Janice White said she received a phone call from police informing her of the threats and district officials were "in the beginning stages" of dealing with the situation, but police called back 15 minutes later informing they had the suspect in custody.

The quick apprehension eliminated the need for the district to implement "any kind of emergency protocol," White said.

"We're very much appreciative of their vigilance," she added.

Dickinson is scheduled to appear in Saratoga Springs City Court at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, though felony cases are typically adjourned until they can be brought before a grand jury.

Murphy said the case will be heard by a grand jury in the "near future," but no date has been scheduled.